Love is in the air

It’s the start of the weekend and the weather has been fantastically hot. Now for all you sports enthusiasts out there, there has been a ton to keep us busy of late. But with the NHL and the NBA on the way down, you may want to pay a little more attention to your significant other. @PapaDart is here to help so before we get into the topic of love in this city, go get the love of your life. Tell them you know this looks like another sports article, but in reality this is for them. Now you young’uns may prefer OVO’s Views and that’s fine, but for today we are going old school, cool. Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Tom Jones:

Yes, love is in the air around here and we should all bask in it. The world has come to know how much pride Toronto fans have in their Blue Jays and their Raptors. They have come to understand that here in the 6ix lies a rabid passion beyond comprehension. This love is very similar to the love shown to you by your SO. Remember, they let you spend time watching games, sat quietly while you booed the other team, shooed the children out as you swore at the referee and even cleaned the mess after you jumped out of your seat when they won. Now there is something that your significant other wants and it is very similar to what the fans want too. They just want to be loved back. (This is a good time for a cuddle, while I dabble in another sports analogy.)

It wasn’t long ago when players drafted here, played here until they could leave. Forget about hometown discounts, we had to overpay to bring talent to Toronto. The falling dollar, the bad contracts, the Canadian taxes all led to pitiful performances, post season absences and player departures. A spiralling effect that made us all wonder if we were ever worthy to be champions. Our last major championship was decades ago, but things have changed. Players are not running away anymore, they talk about Toronto as a viable destination because they love the city.

DeMar DeRozan didn’t play the political correct game of saying “whatever happens, happens” regarding free agency. DeRozan however was quite forward in wanting to stay in Toronto and he wasn’t the only one. Players in that position normally respond with generic, open answers as they approach the biggest contract signing of their life. DeRozan felt no need to do that and even though the team suffered and were horrible at times, he stayed. It looks like he will stay again.

Another free agent just down the road is Mr. Bat Flip himself, Jose Bautista. We recall the preseason fiasco of contract demands that he had, stating he has given management his price and he isn’t budging. He also stated that he wasn’t giving Toronto a hometown discount because he had been doing so for the past few years. He is right there as he has been underpaid according to market value. But again, after being seen at a Raptors game with PK Subban, after getting punched in the face, there are even more warm fuzzies.

Finally we have the type of player that this city loves. Give us a Tie Domi or Jerome ‘Junk Yard Dog’ Williams any day of the week. We love the effort and hustle guys who have a lot more heart than skill. Bismack Biyombo has only been here for one year and although it is unlikely that he’ll resign, he flat out said he would take less money to play here.

So enjoy this lovely weekend with the love of your life and make sure to do something special! Remember it’s only a few days until EURO2016, then there are the Rio Olympics, the Blue Jays pennant race, than the World Cup of Hockey and then… ok, maybe we shouldn’t share this last sentence with our significant other.